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The history of LAKIN•SPEARS is a part of the living tapestry of Palo Alto and the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as a legacy of lasting contributions to the law and the legal community. Among the oldest law firms in Palo Alto, the firm was founded in 1914 by Judge Egerton D. Lakin. Judge Lakin’s father, Josiah Lakin, was one of the pioneering citizens of early Palo Alto, serving as president of the first Liberty Board and a member of the early Board of Education. Judge Lakin attended high school in Palo Alto, and upon graduation from Stanford Law School in 1910, he began practicing law in San Francisco before opening offices here in Palo Alto.
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Very few citizens of Palo Alto have had as many important roles in the history of Palo Alto as Judge Lakin. He has both served on the City Council from 1914 until 1915, and from 1915 until 1929, he served as the Police Judge. Judge Lakin also served as volunteer secretary and president of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce between 1916 and 1922. During World War I, Judge Lakin was the chairman of the Four Minute Men and spearheaded war bond drives. During World War II, he was the chairman of the U.S.O., and the chairman of the Rural and Extension committee for the Salvation Army in Palo Alto. Away from the office and the bench, Judge Lakin took more than a casual interest in the local theater. He was active with the affairs of the Palo Alto Community Players, including leading roles on stage in numerous productions by the Community Players. Judge Lakin passed away in 1968. As World War II ended, Andrew M. Spears joined his
law practice with that of Judge Lakin in 1946 under the firm name of
Lakin and Spears. Mr. Spears attended Stanford University and played
basketball on the same team as Hank Luisetti, the Cardinal’s legendary
All-American. He graduated from Stanford Law School in 1939, practiced
law for three years, before serving for three years as a Special Agent
for the FBI in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Seattle and San Francisco
during World War II. The late Conrad F. “Connie” Gullixson, a bomber pilot during World War II, joined the firm in 1951 upon graduation from Stanford Law School, and would continue the firm’s tradition of participation in Peninsula civic life. A business and estate planning lawyer, he served on the Palo Alto City Council and on the Stanford University Hospital Board, including one year as its president in 1978. Mr. Gullixson was the first person to sit as a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge pro tempore in the North County Courthouse in Palo Alto in 1964. A board member of the Palo Community Housing Inc. for 20 years, Mr. Gullixson had also served as president of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and Grace Lutheran Church. |
FIRM HISTORY CONTINUED HERE |
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